Power King tires that worked!

[buzzcop63]

Power King Towmax STR ST225/75R15LRD, tires DOT dated 4911 (Dec 2011) and trailer purchased new 3/12/2012, tires will be 5 years old this December with approximately 4,000 miles of use, all in Oregon. Tires have preformed beautifully with absolutely no problems caused by tires. Tires rated for 2,540 Lb at 65PSI, when trailer is attached to truck and fully loaded weight on trailer is 5,500Lb per scale giving a per tire load weight of 1,375Lb which means each tire is supporting approximately 54% of its rated load giving 46% safety margin. Tires were kept covered when stored in outside RV storage facility, PSI was kept at 65, traveling speed was set at 55 Mph and Tire Minder was used to monitor temperature and pressure, this is the type with sending unit attached on rubber stem, no problems to date or marks on rim from rubbing. Towmax states that at 100C or 212F that tires rubber will suffer degradation and adhesive force can drop, delaminating the tire and going flat. My tires on the hottest days would reach only half of the maximum.

Having read many complaints about tire failures, researched what tire manufactures have to say as well as talked to several tire dealers my conclusion why I have not had trouble running Power King tires is that my tires have a large safety margin in weight they can carry, they have been run at 55mph and kept covered during storage, their PSI has been constantly watched. Scale weight of trailer compared to weight rating of tires is critical as is keeping the speed and thus heat down should increase your odds of reaching 5 years of use without tire failure. New tires in Spring, its time.

[Desert185]

Which brand will the replacement tires be?

[buzzcop63]

Same brand, recommended by Tire Distributor Les Schwab, gave them the option to upgrade my tires or use another brand, their reply, stick with the same brand and take care of them. The tires they see coming in that have failed, all brands, they feel is due to speed, too much weight, too old and not keeping up with recommended PSI. But I will be watching them on every trip with my Tire Minder and checking them at every stop as I have done with the current tires.

My wish would be Trailer Life to set up a scientific test of the major brands fitted as OEM tires and beat them until they fail as well as a few of the top competitors so that we would have answers that are not just our own experience.

[JRTJH]

Robert,

When you do replace your tires, if you would, please examine the inside (under the tread) and see if you can identify any separation. It will look like small bubbles or round "inflated" spots. Hopefully you won't find any, but that is exactly what I saw on two of the tires I replaced this spring. Here's a picture of one of the tires.

I'd be interested in knowing if the tires that "do make it to the end" have any of the same characteristics as those that, at least in my situation, got caught before they self destructed.

Thanks,

[sourdough]

I think I can see the reason so many (China bombs) fail on so many trailers. Your trailer scaled at 5500 lbs. Mine is 9600 - 9800 lbs depending on trip. Mine came with the same size and rated tires as your trailer leaving me with almost zero weight margin (load vs tire capacity). Yours have performed well, mine blew the first trip of the 3rd summer. And yes, I drive less than 65, filled daily to correct psi etc. Probably needs to be something we all need to consider when buying a new trailer instead of just assuming the manufacturer has given us a safety margin.

[buzzcop63]

Robert,

When you do replace your tires, if you would, please examine the inside (under the tread) and see if you can identify any separation. It will look like small bubbles or round "inflated" spots. Hopefully you won't find any, but that is exactly what I saw on two of the tires I replaced this spring. Here's a picture of one of the tires.

I'd be interested in knowing if the tires that "do make it to the end" have any of the same characteristics as those that, at least in my situation, got caught before they self destructed.

Thanks,
When I put on the new set in Spring I will ask to see the tires that they have taken off!

[JRTJH]

I think I can see the reason so many (China bombs) fail on so many trailers. Your trailer scaled at 5500 lbs. Mine is 9600 - 9800 lbs depending on trip. Mine came with the same size and rated tires as your trailer leaving me with almost zero weight margin (load vs tire capacity). Yours have performed well, mine blew the first trip of the 3rd summer. And yes, I drive less than 65, filled daily to correct psi etc. Probably needs to be something we all need to consider when buying a new trailer instead of just assuming the manufacturer has given us a safety margin.

Sourdough, I've been thinking, (I know a dangerous thing for me to do) but...

Here's something to consider: Thinking back to the descriptions on Carlisle, Maxxis and several other tire manufacturer sites, many of them say that their ST tires "degrade" about 10% per year. So 4 tires rated at 2540 each would support about 10160 pounds the first year, about 9144 the second, about 8128 the third, 7112 the fourth and 6096 the fifth year. Factoring in 15% tongue weight on a travel trailer, that would be a trailer with about 7000 pounds in the fifth year without "overloading the aged tires". Quite a significant difference between buzzcop's trailer and yours or mine. We'd be overloaded the second year or the third for sure.

Robert,

Thanks, if you can remember, it will be an interesting comparison of the inside of your tires and of mine.

[Ken / Claudia]

John, I am going to replace tries also this spring or sooner and will check them as you pointed out. I will post what I find. I might go to Carlisle trail HD same size as current ones, ST225/75R15 8ply with 2540 lbs max wt. Unsure where they are made. Their web says many of their tires are US made but, not all tires and they do not list which tire is US and which is not.
,

[sourdough]

Sourdough, I've been thinking, (I know a dangerous thing for me to do) but...

Here's something to consider: Thinking back to the descriptions on Carlisle, Maxxis and several other tire manufacturer sites, many of them say that their ST tires "degrade" about 10% per year. So 4 tires rated at 2540 each would support about 10160 pounds the first year, about 9144 the second, about 8128 the third, 7112 the fourth and 6096 the fifth year. Factoring in 15% tongue weight on a travel trailer, that would be a trailer with about 7000 pounds in the fifth year without "overloading the aged tires". Quite a significant difference between buzzcop's trailer and yours or mine. We'd be overloaded the second year or the third for sure.

Robert,

Thanks, if you can remember, it will be an interesting comparison of the inside of your tires and of mine.

John,

You're exactly right and make the point I was alluding to. I don't think most folks think about scrutinizing the new tires on a new trailer to determine exactly what kind of weight margin they have. In this case they used the same type of tire on a 5500 lb trailer and a 10,000 lb trailer. That doesn't really make sense to me and really puts the owner of the heavier trailer in a bit of a quandary.

You and I both had experiences with tire degradation/destruction early on. Mine went on the 1st trip of the 3rd summer (trailer was 2 yrs 1 month old) leading to the observation that those tires (if I had kept the same type/rating) would have to be replaced every other summer. Something that folks need to keep in mind even when purchasing a brand new trailer.

Danny

[JRTJH]

John, I am going to replace tries also this spring or sooner and will check them as you pointed out. I will post what I find. I might go to Carlisle trail HD same size as current ones, ST225/75R15 8ply with 2540 lbs max wt. Unsure where they are made. Their web says many of their tires are US made but, not all tires and they do not list which tire is US and which is not.
,

Thanks Ken.

If you're going to replace your tires, you might want to consider the LR E (10 ply). They are only a couple of dollars more and have significantly more load capability. As for where the Carlisle Radial Trail HD, as far as I can tell, they are made in China. A "couple of provinces" away from where TowMax is made. The difference: Carlisle owns their factory, TowMax is a "contracted by an outside manufacturer" which, to me, means significantly lower quality control.

[CaptnJohn]

Another factor in your favor is only 4000 miles in 5 years. I usually put twice that or more every year. For that reason I sold my nearly new Trailer King tires to the dealer where I bought 5 Carlisle 235/85/R16 LRF TH tires ~ up from LRE ~~which gives me more cushion.

[Alpine]

I dunno.... only 4,000 miles in a 5 year period of time to me doesn't seem to be a great gauge on the longevity or quality of any trailer tire brand! Maybe it's just sour-grapes on my part eh? :D

P.S. We have at least 60,000 plus miles on our present trailer tires!

[buzzcop63]

I also thought less miles on the tire would mean they should last longer, not according to Power King, the following is from their web sight:

Tires are designed and built to be used. The rubber used in tires ages faster when they are not used, so more use results in longer tire life. The problem is lots of RV’s don’t get used that much.
When tires are manufactured compounds are added to help protect the rubber from weather cracking and ozone damage. The problem is the tire needs to be rolling down the road, heating up and flexing for these compounds to work their way to the surface of the tire and protect the rubber from damage. So, when tires sit still, like in storage they start to dry out causing them to age faster.

[busterbrown]

I also thought less miles on the tire would mean they should last longer, not according to Power King, the following is from their web sight:

Tires are designed and built to be used. The rubber used in tires ages faster when they are not used, so more use results in longer tire life. The problem is lots of RV’s don’t get used that much.
When tires are manufactured compounds are added to help protect the rubber from weather cracking and ozone damage. The problem is the tire needs to be rolling down the road, heating up and flexing for these compounds to work their way to the surface of the tire and protect the rubber from damage. So, when tires sit still, like in storage they start to dry out causing them to age faster.

It's accepted that RV manufacturers do what they can to save costs and equip their brands with components that meet the "minimum" specs required to support the load in ideal/new conditions. This can be applied especially to tires, axles, and brakes.

As others have stated, factoring in yearly losses in tire degradation is NOT part of the build process. If it was, OEM tire blow outs would be a relatively quiet subject on these forums.

I believe that its a shared responsibility of both the RV manufacturer and the new owner. The RV manufacturer should have the responsibility to provide satisfactory tires allowing for degradational safety margins. On the flip side, the RV owner should be responsible for proper care and maintenance of those tires (i.e. inflation pressures, speed allowances, life span).

I say "should" as we all know both parties, generally speaking, don't follow the rules.

As far as tire condition relative to miles driven, I agree with the manufacturer's statements, based on personal experience with automobile tires. 2 sets of the same brand, 90K miles on 1 set after 5 years. 30K on the other set in in practically the same amount of time. The set that seen limited miles looked older than the one driven frequently.

[notanlines]

Buzzcop, good on ya, mate, for your odd fortune. But I sincerely hope you aren't here to push others in the direction you're headed. Dozens and dozens of members on this forum and others have given horror stories galore concerning your tire brand. Two proverbs come to mind. "A word to the wise is sufficient" and of course "You can lead a horse to water, but......." Luck to you, my friend.

[xrated]

This might be apples vs oranges, but I've had good service out of the Maxxis 8008 trailer tires. Now, the apples and oranges thing....that has been on a 7 x 16 foot enclosed trailer which is rated at 7000 lbs GVW and I'm usually going down the road at a little over 5k lbs. What are your thoughts on the Maxxis brand for heavier towing? I now have a 9000 lb (empty weight) toy hauler with CCC of almost 4K lbs.

[JRTJH]

This might be apples vs oranges, but I've had good service out of the Maxxis 8008 trailer tires. Now, the apples and oranges thing....that has been on a 7 x 16 foot enclosed trailer which is rated at 7000 lbs GVW and I'm usually going down the road at a little over 5k lbs. What are your thoughts on the Maxxis brand for heavier towing? I now have a 9000 lb (empty weight) toy hauler with CCC of almost 4K lbs.

The only two brands of ST tires I'd consider are Carlisle and Maxxis. Any others are "off brands" and subject to significant criticism on this and many other forums. Of course, you'll find the occasional poster who will "swear by" most any brand, but the vast majority will "swear at" those same brands, with the exception of Carlisle and Maxxis. In order or preference, most would suggest that Maxxis is the better tire probably because Carlisle had a "not too good" reputation some years ago, mainly in their bias ply ST tire brands. The new Carlisle Radial Trail HD and Radial Trail RH have, for the most part, come as close to Maxxis M8808's reputation as any tire can get. I'd say, from what I've read, that the two, Carlisle and Maxxis are pretty much equal.

[Desert185]

This might be apples vs oranges, but I've had good service out of the Maxxis 8008 trailer tires. Now, the apples and oranges thing....that has been on a 7 x 16 foot enclosed trailer which is rated at 7000 lbs GVW and I'm usually going down the road at a little over 5k lbs. What are your thoughts on the Maxxis brand for heavier towing? I now have a 9000 lb (empty weight) toy hauler with CCC of almost 4K lbs.

I have the Maxxis M8008 235/80R-16 LRE on the SRX toy hauler and Carlisle RH on the utility trailers. No problems with either. The Maxxis have ~7000 miles on them with no abnormal or even discernable wear. Unless there is a big ST tire development between now the the time arrives for replacement, I won't change a thing.

[buzzcop63]

Buzzcop, good on ya, mate, for your odd fortune. But I sincerely hope you aren't here to push others in the direction you're headed. Dozens and dozens of members on this forum and others have given horror stories galore concerning your tire brand. Two proverbs come to mind. "A word to the wise is sufficient" and of course "You can lead a horse to water, but......." Luck to you, my friend.
No push intended!

But it is common that when something fails we complain about it but when something works we generally say nothing. We know that Power King is an OEM tire, how many are out their that have not given any problems and what percent of safety margin did those tires carry for the weight that was put on them? Are our tires failing because the owner has not done his due diligence or are they failing due to the factory putting tires on trailers that are barely able to carry the trailers weight or are cheaply made? Our government DOT rates the tires and allows them into the country so we should assume they are good?

Apples and Oranges, I have had one blowout on a tire, Studebaker Lark pick up overloaded with wet sod on old tires! Started driving when I was 16 now 71, driving sports cars, passenger cars etc, 100,000 miles plus on bikes, many miles spent towing bikes and boats, driving construction trucks and trailers that were overloaded and tires that looked like they were ready to die, had flats due to nails, screws etc but no other blow outs! So why so many on trailers! I personally am sick of driving with the fear in the back of my mind that a tire will let loose on our trailer. We cannot trust that our small sampling of tire uses is going to tell us what tire really works and will the same manufactured tire be the same quality next year and the year after. We are only guessing and that is not good enough!

[bartbill]

Buzzcop; close to my age and my life experience mirrors yours regarding tires. I am with you - something is wrong that we should need to spend this much time in discussion of tires. Someone on this board always responds to these issues with: Well, you see-the manufactures have to be competitive. So we must clearly be at a race to the bottom. Doesn't say much for the industry. Rant over.

[xrated]

The only two brands of ST tires I'd consider are Carlisle and Maxxis. Any others are "off brands" and subject to significant criticism on this and many other forums. Of course, you'll find the occasional poster who will "swear by" most any brand, but the vast majority will "swear at" those same brands, with the exception of Carlisle and Maxxis. In order or preference, most would suggest that Maxxis is the better tire probably because Carlisle had a "not too good" reputation some years ago, mainly in their bias ply ST tire brands. The new Carlisle Radial Trail HD and Radial Trail RH have, for the most part, come as close to Maxxis M8808's reputation as any tire can get. I'd say, from what I've read, that the two, Carlisle and Maxxis are pretty much equal.

Good to know. I had a set of Maxxis tires on another enclosed trailer that I had, but sold the trailer before the tires had more than 4-5K miles. Then, I put them on my present enclosed and they are holding up really well....I just didn't know how well the brand would do on heavier trailers like the Toy Hauler I just bought......which has the Power Kings on it.

[EVMIII]

I would just suggest you compare the tires you are considering side by side. I am putting the Sailun 235 80 R16's ST tires on next spring before my long trip. I was able to compare this tire to the Towmaster currently on my trailer and it was like comparing men and boys. I like to save money as much as the next guy, but I also believe that you get what you pay for. I can replace the Towmasters for about $80 a piece, every other reputable tire Maxxis, Carlisle or the Sailun are more than twice that each. Best of luck, safe travels.

[CaptnJohn]

I would just suggest you compare the tires you are considering side by side. I am putting the Sailun 235 80 R16's ST tires on next spring before my long trip. I was able to compare this tire to the Towmaster currently on my trailer and it was like comparing men and boys. I like to save money as much as the next guy, but I also believe that you get what you pay for. I can replace the Towmasters for about $80 a piece, every other reputable tire Maxxis, Carlisle or the Sailun are more than twice that each. Best of luck, safe travels.

Not sure where you get your prices but I had 5 Carlisle 235/85/R16 LR F mounted balanced and installed for $97 each. The 235/80 in LR E are the same price. My Trailer King OEM tires were nearly new and the dealer bought them for $75 which knocked the cost down even more. The tires were 3 months from the factory so they were fresh as well. OOHHhhh the LR E series max psi is 85# and LR F is 95#.

[CWtheMan]

Buzzcop; close to my age and my life experience mirrors yours regarding tires. I am with you - something is wrong that we should need to spend this much time in discussion of tires. Someone on this board always responds to these issues with: Well, you see-the manufactures have to be competitive. So we must clearly be at a race to the bottom. Doesn't say much for the industry. Rant over.

I get hammered a lot for my views on this subject so now days I pretty much stay out of it until the temptation overcomes me.

The RV trailer manufacturers cannot be held 100% responsible for their tire selections. They MUST follow the guidelines presented to them from NHTSA via the FMVSS standards they must follow.

FMVSS 571.120 paragraph S5.3.1 States in part; Tires, the size designation and the recommended cold inflation pressure for those tires such that the sum of the load ratings of the tires on each axle is appropriate for the GAWR.

The key word in the paragraph above is appropriate. There are other paragraphs that point out that the minimum for appropriate is a tire that provides the load capacity equal to or greater than the GAWR of each axle.

All of that sets the stage for competition. Competition between tire manufacturer’s to provide tires that meet all GAWR requirements, competition between the trailer manufacturers when seeking the best value from the OEM providers of their tires and competition in the market place to provide a trailer that meets all the standards required by NHTSA at a desirable market value to their consumers.

So, just like everything else in a free market place the buyer must be aware.

Various organizations such as RIVA do research on RV trailer tires at meets around the country. Nearly 50% of all trailers have at least one tire overloaded and almost as many overloaded axles. Under inflation follows along in 2nd place. With statistics like that, trailer tire failure rates are very predictable. On average, a 1 PSI loss of recommended inflation pressure equals a 1.7% loss of tire load capacity for that tire.


p.s. I've been using Towmax tires since 2005 to date. That's a much longer story.

[Desert185]

I get hammered a lot for my views on this subject so now days I pretty much stay out of it until the temptation overcomes me.

The RV trailer manufacturers cannot be held 100% responsible for their tire selections. They MUST follow the guidelines presented to them from NHTSA via the FMVSS standards they must follow.

FMVSS 571.120 paragraph S5.3.1 States in part; Tires, the size designation and the recommended cold inflation pressure for those tires such that the sum of the load ratings of the tires on each axle is appropriate for the GAWR.

The key word in the paragraph above is appropriate. There are other paragraphs that point out that the minimum for appropriate is a tire that provides the load capacity equal to or greater than the GAWR of each axle.

All of that sets the stage for competition. Competition between tire manufacturer’s to provide tires that meet all GAWR requirements, competition between the trailer manufacturers when seeking the best value from the OEM providers of their tires and competition in the market place to provide a trailer that meets all the standards required by NHTSA at a desirable market value to their consumers.

So, just like everything else in a free market place the buyer must be aware.

Various organizations such as RIVA do research on RV trailer tires at meets around the country. Nearly 50% of all trailers have at least one tire overloaded and almost as many overloaded axles. Under inflation follows along in 2nd place. With statistics like that, trailer tire failure rates are very predictable. On average, a 1 PSI loss of recommended inflation pressure equals a 1.7% loss of tire load capacity for that tire.


p.s. I've been using Tcowmax tires since 2005 to date. That's a much longer story.

...and yet we don't hear much about Maxxis or Carlisle tires failing. I know they are not as widely seen as OEM's, but I doubt the Maxxis and Carlisle owners are better at not overloading or underinflating their tires than the owners (like yourself) who run OEM's. Perhaps a higher level of quality increases the failure margin to a degree?

Parenthetically, I know a guy who swears the best car he ever had was a Yugo. I haven't been convinced that he is correct, nor am I convinced that HF tools are up to par with Snap-on's.

I do appreciate your knowledgable input on this forum, though.

[slow]

...and yet we don't hear much about Maxxis or Carlisle tires failing. ............

Don't most who "upgrade" to Maxxis or Carlisle, take the opportunity to go to a higher load capacity tire? That is my sense reading all the posts. That may be another reason why they are viewed as more reliable.

[Desert185]

Don't most who "upgrade" to Maxxis or Carlisle, take the opportunity to go to a higher load capacity tire? That is my sense reading all the posts. That may be another reason why they are viewed as more reliable.

My 235/80R-16 LRE Maxxis are 3420#. Other brands are 3520#. Maxxis tells me they meet industry standard requirements, but they don't say why they are 100# under everyone else.

[Javi]

Don't most who "upgrade" to Maxxis or Carlisle, take the opportunity to go to a higher load capacity tire? That is my sense reading all the posts. That may be another reason why they are viewed as more reliable.

The Carlisle Radial Trail HD's; I bought last week are 235/80R/16E 3520 and the Trailer King tire I replaced were also 235/80R/16E 3520...

[CWtheMan]

The Carlisle Radial Trail HD's; I bought last week are 235/80R/16E 3520 and the Trailer King tire I replaced were also 235/80R/16E 3520...

There are three different maximum load capacities for the ST235/80R16E, 3420#, 3500# and 3520#, all at 80 psi.

Such differences are noted by the TRA and NHTSA addresses the load capacities in FMVSS standards. Basically the correct load capacity is on the tire's sidewall. However, by NHTSA regulations they all default to the lowest load capacity unless the vehicle manufacturer addresses their actual load capacity in documentation to NHTSA and provides that documentation to the vehicle owner. It could involve a brand name recognition and I've never (personally) seen a vehicle manufacturer make such statements.

[Javi]

There are three different maximum load capacities for the ST235/80R16E, 3420#, 3500# and 3520#, all at 80 psi.

Such differences are noted by the TRA and NHTSA addresses the load capacities in FMVSS standards. Basically the correct load capacity is on the tire's sidewall. However, by NHTSA regulations they all default to the lowest load capacity unless the vehicle manufacturer addresses their actual load capacity in documentation to NHTSA and provides that documentation to the vehicle owner. It could involve a brand name recognition and I've never (personally) seen a vehicle manufacturer make such statements.

Well since I'm not running four tires on each axle, I can eliminate one of those ratings... :D and since 4 multiplied by any of the three numbers is well in excess of any load conceivable with my trailer (yes I've weighed it (more than once) ) ... I'll file that info in the I just don't need to know it department... But thanks anyway...(tx)

[Desert185]

Well since I'm not running four tires on each axle, I can eliminate one of those ratingsv... :D and since 4 multiplied by any of the three numbers is well in excess of any load conceivable with my trailer (yes I've weighed it (more than once) ) ... I'll file that info in the I just don't need to know it department... But thanks anyway...(tx)

Yep. Maxxis' 3420 x 4 works for me.

[Ken / Claudia]

I am following up from post #4 by JRTJH.
Today I had replaced the factory tires dated 0211. 225/75/15 8ply. I can only make a guess that I had around 5,000 miles on them. 2 times I did brush the tries against curbing once on each side during that time. No tire failures. The shop and I looked inside the tires and did not find any delamb or bubbles. I also replaced the spare that was never used.
New tires Carlisle HD 225/75/15 10 ply. Made in China. Date code 0916. Speed rated at 81mph and wt. rating 2830 at 80 psi. Balanced and metal valve stems.
At 4 more bucks from 8 to 10 ply per tire. I think the extra rating is a good thing.

[Desert185]

You did good. :thumbsup:

[CaptnJohn]

I am following up from post #4 by JRTJH.
Today I had replaced the factory tires dated 0211. 225/75/15 8ply. I can only make a guess that I had around 5,000 miles on them. 2 times I did brush the tries against curbing once on each side during that time. No tire failures. The shop and I looked inside the tires and did not find any delamb or bubbles. I also replaced the spare that was never used.
New tires Carlisle HD 225/75/15 10 ply. Made in China. Date code 0916. Speed rated at 81mph and wt. rating 2830 at 80 psi. Balanced and metal valve stems.
At 4 more bucks from 8 to 10 ply per tire. I think the extra rating is a good thing.

I hope you are as happy with Carlisle as I have been. Made in China BUT:
"During a visit to China in April 2015, Van Ormer saw many new lines of ST products, but says he is aware of only one manufacturer that has “truly changed” the technology of the ST tires. That manufacturer is Carlstar Group LLC, formerly CTP Transportation Products and before that, Carlisle Transportation Products. “With the RH (radial) and LH (bias) trailer tires, they beefed up the bead and sidewall packages so that few others can compete quality-wise with them,” Van Ormer says."

http://www.moderntiredealer.com/article/312514/st-tires-all-steel-radial-construction-is-meeting-the-demand-for-more-carrying-capacity

[JRTJH]

Ken,

Thanks for the information. Hopefully the tread separation that myself and a few others have experienced isn't as prevalent as I'd feared. Of course, if anyone does have the "tread bubbles" that's one to many as far as they are concerned... LOL Me included !!!

[sourdough]

I am following up from post #4 by JRTJH.
Today I had replaced the factory tires dated 0211. 225/75/15 8ply. I can only make a guess that I had around 5,000 miles on them. 2 times I did brush the tries against curbing once on each side during that time. No tire failures. The shop and I looked inside the tires and did not find any delamb or bubbles. I also replaced the spare that was never used.
New tires Carlisle HD 225/75/15 10 ply. Made in China. Date code 0916. Speed rated at 81mph and wt. rating 2830 at 80 psi. Balanced and metal valve stems.
At 4 more bucks from 8 to 10 ply per tire. I think the extra rating is a good thing.


Exact tires I put on my trailer back in April and I've been nothing but happy so far. Hopefully I, and you, will have many uneventful miles on these tires.

[buzzcop63]

As of this morning my Power King tires were going on 6 years old, 3,009 miles, date code August 2011 as in my original post spring replacement time is at hand. Had went to Discount Tire first of year and got prices on Carlisle "E" rated tires and now that the sun has finally come out in our area I visited Discount Tire again to set up an appointment. Seems they have dropped Carlisle and replaced it with Goodyear Endurance, the new US made Tire. Tire dealer sold me on this tire and I had four of them mounted ST225/75/R15, 117N. Tire cost $121 each. They oldest date code was 3rd week of 2017. I have Tire Minder, keep tires covered when trailer is in storage, sitting on asphalt, travel at 55 MPH and monitor pressure very closely. Will post again when have had some miles on these tires. No problems reported by dealer on old Power King tires but also stated that separation inside tire may not be evident until it lets loose.